Baked Eggplant Sandwiches: A Delicious Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 0.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg egg
• 0.25 cup water
• 1 large long eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/3 inch thick slices
• 0.5 cup finely chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 ounces fresh goat cheese
• 1 cup shredded sharp provolone cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• ground black pepper to taste
• 0.5 cup pomegranate molasses

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Lightly coat two large baking sheets with olive oil.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the panko crumbs, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Place the flour in a third bowl. Dredge each eggplant slice in flour, shaking off any excess. Dip into the egg mixture, and then coat generously with panko crumbs. Arrange the coated eggplant slices on the prepared baking sheets.
3. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Flip the slices and continue baking for another 12 minutes, or until they reach a beautiful golden brown. Take them out of the oven and let them cool slightly, but keep the oven on.
4. While the eggplant is baking, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Then, add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the goat cheese, provolone cheese, parsley, and basil. Season generously with pepper.
5. Divide the cheese mixture evenly among 8 eggplant slices (half of the baked slices). Spread the mixture to cover the surfaces, then top each with a remaining eggplant slice, pressing gently to compact the sandwich. Return the assembled sandwiches to the baking sheets.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until the eggplant is perfectly crisp, approximately 15 minutes. Arrange two sandwiches on each serving plate, and drizzle generously with pomegranate molasses before serving.

Nutrition

• Calories: 620 kcal
• Fat Content: 30 g
• Fiber Content: 6 g
• Sugar Content: 5 g
• Sodium Content: 1922 mg
• Protein Content: 28 g
• Cholesterol Content: 97 mg
• Carbohydrate Content: 74 g
• Saturated Fat Content: 15 g
• Unsaturated Fat Content: 0 g